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Gemma Bradbury Magical Cozy Mysteries #1
Basic Witch: Witches of Salem
Welcome to Salem, where paranormals of all kinds live in harmony. Mostly.
Gemma Bradbury used to be the epitome of a basic thirty-something woman—obsessed with social media, Netflix, and Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes.
But when she stumbles into a new life in Magickal Salem, everything changes. Gemma finds herself tangled up in the suspicious death of an elderly shop owner, realizes her cat can talk, and discovers she’s an actual witch.
She also finds out that she’s stuck in Salem. Forever.
But once the Coven assigns her a magical tutor—the drop-dead gorgeous Professor Beauregard Bacchus—and she makes friends with a real fairy princess, things start to look up.
All she has to do now is learn to navigate a new town full of witches, vampires and shifters, manage a magic shop, pass her first wand exam, and maybe flirt a bit with the handsome paranormal bachelors in her new town.
Oh, and find the shop owner’s real killer before Salem’s bumbling moose-shifter deputy tosses her in jail for murder.
Suddenly, this witch’s life isn’t so basic anymore.
UPDATED 2ND EDITION
Fans of witty cozy mysteries will love this magickal tale featuring a reluctant female sleuth, an opinionated feline familiar and a touch of romance set in a quaint (and gossipy) supernatural village.
Note: This book contains lighthearted and sarcastic humor, mild swearing, and sexual innuendos. Bonus recipes included.
Gemma Bradbury used to be the epitome of a basic thirty-something woman—obsessed with social media, Netflix, and Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes.
But when she stumbles into a new life in Magickal Salem, everything changes. Gemma finds herself tangled up in the suspicious death of an elderly shop owner, realizes her cat can talk, and discovers she’s an actual witch.
She also finds out that she’s stuck in Salem. Forever.
But once the Coven assigns her a magical tutor—the drop-dead gorgeous Professor Beauregard Bacchus—and she makes friends with a real fairy princess, things start to look up.
All she has to do now is learn to navigate a new town full of witches, vampires and shifters, manage a magic shop, pass her first wand exam, and maybe flirt a bit with the handsome paranormal bachelors in her new town.
Oh, and find the shop owner’s real killer before Salem’s bumbling moose-shifter deputy tosses her in jail for murder.
Suddenly, this witch’s life isn’t so basic anymore.
UPDATED 2ND EDITION
Fans of witty cozy mysteries will love this magickal tale featuring a reluctant female sleuth, an opinionated feline familiar and a touch of romance set in a quaint (and gossipy) supernatural village.
Note: This book contains lighthearted and sarcastic humor, mild swearing, and sexual innuendos. Bonus recipes included.
211 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 21, 2018
319 people are currently reading
587 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
April 18, 2019
I recently read an article entitled We Need to Start Taking Young Women's Love Stories Seriously, which gave me a lot to think about. I had that article in mind as I read this book.
Let's be clear upfront: this is not a book that intends to be taken seriously. It's fluff. It's cotton candy: bright pink (nothing wrong with that), sweet, insubstantial, and not intended to satiate. It's written quickly to be read quickly, and it needs a good proofread (which I doubt it will ever get), not least to sort out the horrible mess that the author has made with missing and misplaced quotation marks. It's full of cliches, down to and including the first-person narrator checking out her reflection, and getting the Power just when she needs it at a moment of crisis. Fortunate coincidences abound on every side. The heroine gets handed basically everything she wants, with little or no effort to earn it.
It is, in short, a wish-fulfilment fantasy - or perhaps we should say a witch-fulfilment fantasy.
And this, in itself, tells me a lot. More of that after this brief summary.
The heroine is a self-described "basic white girl". Her backstory is: Family all deceased, series of jobs she hates, series of failed relationships, lots of student debt. She is explicitly extremely ordinary and completely undistinguished.
As the story begins, she has fortunately inherited a New Age shop from a relative she didn't know she had, but is losing customers because she's not New Agey enough for their expectations.
By another stroke of luck or fate, she stumbles through a portal into a world where she's quite possibly the Chosen One, but definitely a powerful (if completely untrained) witch. This portal opens every seven years, very few people pass through, and there's no TV on the other side, but somehow slang and fashion are right up to the minute (in other words, there's no attempt at thinking through the extremely light worldbuilding).
Everyone (with one significant exception) wants to be nice to her. Just for showing up, she's set up with a profitable business, a place to live (which she gets to redecorate), a new wardrobe, magic high heels that don't hurt or cause her to trip, a magic handbag that isn't heavy no matter what she puts in it, a makeover, and a new instant best friend (a fairy princess who, despite her outgoing nature, doesn't appear to have any existing friends to complicate matters); she's also surrounded by a plethora of hot single men. Also, her cat can talk to her now, and will live as long as she does. I have to admit I'd like that one myself.
See what I mean about wish fulfillment?
There's one complication: when she stumbled through the portal, she fell over a dead body, and she's a suspect in the murder. But only one person seriously suspects her. Sure, he's the local cop, but everyone knows he's an idiot, and they don't take much notice of him. It does, however, mean that she wants to clear her name by finding the actual murderer, something the cop is probably not capable of doing.
I thought about flagging some of what follows with spoiler tags, but to be honest, if anything in this book surprises you you probably aren't old enough to be reading it.
Any serious attempt to solve the mystery takes a back seat for a long time to being heaped with various kinds of gifts, which the heroine "deserves" after "all she's been through". When we do at last return to the mystery-solving in earnest, the heroine comes up with a plan which, while not exactly bad, is as transparent as a well-washed window, and is intended to get her suspect (the only person who hasn't been nice to her) out of the way so that she can search for clues. "It will be as easy as pie!" she says, then, "Spoiler alert: It was not as easy as pie."
Well, actually, spoiler alert, it was. Sure, her initial attempt to search the premises was thwarted, but she then (in a strong echo of how she came through the portal in the first place) discovers by pure luck an alternative way in, which also explains how the crime was committed, and she's able to find clear evidence almost immediately. Plus the suspect, who's crazy but not a complete idiot, has seen through the well-washed window and comes back and confesses. So as far as a mystery plot goes, it's more of a gesture in the direction of one than it is actually one.
As a wish-fulfillment fantasy, though, it's remarkably comprehensive, and that's what I found interesting.
Leaving aside the magical parts, apparently the dreams of a 30-something basic white girl include being given a lot of nice stuff that makes her life comfortable and enjoyable, but which she doesn't really have to work for (because she deserves it); having a fun friend to go out with and lots of attractive men to talk about with said friend; and... here's the significant bit... having a man around who she's sexually attracted to, but who will stay with her, protect her, provide emotional support for her, sleep in the same bed with his arm around her, and will not push her to have sex (because it's against his principles). This is in distinct contrast with a male wish-fulfillment fantasy I started to read a while back; it just assumed that the attractive woman would naturally have sex with the hero. That's only one of the reasons I didn't finish it. There is a man in this book who thinks that way; he's literally a wolf (at least part of the time), and is depicted as a disgusting creeper. I'd say "Men, take note," but any men who are reading a review of a book like this have probably already figured that one out.
I'm in two minds about the whole lack of effort and struggle for the main character. On the one hand, by most rules of writing, this is bad writing and should be boring, but then, most rules of writing are laid down by men. Is it a bug, or - given that this is, after all, a wish-fulfillment fantasy - a feature? What tips me in the direction of "feature" is the thought that many people in general, and women in particular, are experiencing life in the United States at the moment as an unavailing and never-ending struggle, so the very lack of struggle is part of the wish-fulfillment fantasy.
I'm still marking it down to three stars, mind you. It's so utterly expected, so full of cliches, so clearly dashed off quickly to serve a market - in short, so basic - that, in my mind, it doesn't earn four stars, even though it's enjoyable enough for what it is. But it doesn't need to be a great book to give a degree of insight into the concerns of its target audience, and that is what I mostly gained from it.
Let's be clear upfront: this is not a book that intends to be taken seriously. It's fluff. It's cotton candy: bright pink (nothing wrong with that), sweet, insubstantial, and not intended to satiate. It's written quickly to be read quickly, and it needs a good proofread (which I doubt it will ever get), not least to sort out the horrible mess that the author has made with missing and misplaced quotation marks. It's full of cliches, down to and including the first-person narrator checking out her reflection, and getting the Power just when she needs it at a moment of crisis. Fortunate coincidences abound on every side. The heroine gets handed basically everything she wants, with little or no effort to earn it.
It is, in short, a wish-fulfilment fantasy - or perhaps we should say a witch-fulfilment fantasy.
And this, in itself, tells me a lot. More of that after this brief summary.
The heroine is a self-described "basic white girl". Her backstory is: Family all deceased, series of jobs she hates, series of failed relationships, lots of student debt. She is explicitly extremely ordinary and completely undistinguished.
As the story begins, she has fortunately inherited a New Age shop from a relative she didn't know she had, but is losing customers because she's not New Agey enough for their expectations.
By another stroke of luck or fate, she stumbles through a portal into a world where she's quite possibly the Chosen One, but definitely a powerful (if completely untrained) witch. This portal opens every seven years, very few people pass through, and there's no TV on the other side, but somehow slang and fashion are right up to the minute (in other words, there's no attempt at thinking through the extremely light worldbuilding).
Everyone (with one significant exception) wants to be nice to her. Just for showing up, she's set up with a profitable business, a place to live (which she gets to redecorate), a new wardrobe, magic high heels that don't hurt or cause her to trip, a magic handbag that isn't heavy no matter what she puts in it, a makeover, and a new instant best friend (a fairy princess who, despite her outgoing nature, doesn't appear to have any existing friends to complicate matters); she's also surrounded by a plethora of hot single men. Also, her cat can talk to her now, and will live as long as she does. I have to admit I'd like that one myself.
See what I mean about wish fulfillment?
There's one complication: when she stumbled through the portal, she fell over a dead body, and she's a suspect in the murder. But only one person seriously suspects her. Sure, he's the local cop, but everyone knows he's an idiot, and they don't take much notice of him. It does, however, mean that she wants to clear her name by finding the actual murderer, something the cop is probably not capable of doing.
I thought about flagging some of what follows with spoiler tags, but to be honest, if anything in this book surprises you you probably aren't old enough to be reading it.
Any serious attempt to solve the mystery takes a back seat for a long time to being heaped with various kinds of gifts, which the heroine "deserves" after "all she's been through". When we do at last return to the mystery-solving in earnest, the heroine comes up with a plan which, while not exactly bad, is as transparent as a well-washed window, and is intended to get her suspect (the only person who hasn't been nice to her) out of the way so that she can search for clues. "It will be as easy as pie!" she says, then, "Spoiler alert: It was not as easy as pie."
Well, actually, spoiler alert, it was. Sure, her initial attempt to search the premises was thwarted, but she then (in a strong echo of how she came through the portal in the first place) discovers by pure luck an alternative way in, which also explains how the crime was committed, and she's able to find clear evidence almost immediately. Plus the suspect, who's crazy but not a complete idiot, has seen through the well-washed window and comes back and confesses. So as far as a mystery plot goes, it's more of a gesture in the direction of one than it is actually one.
As a wish-fulfillment fantasy, though, it's remarkably comprehensive, and that's what I found interesting.
Leaving aside the magical parts, apparently the dreams of a 30-something basic white girl include being given a lot of nice stuff that makes her life comfortable and enjoyable, but which she doesn't really have to work for (because she deserves it); having a fun friend to go out with and lots of attractive men to talk about with said friend; and... here's the significant bit... having a man around who she's sexually attracted to, but who will stay with her, protect her, provide emotional support for her, sleep in the same bed with his arm around her, and will not push her to have sex (because it's against his principles). This is in distinct contrast with a male wish-fulfillment fantasy I started to read a while back; it just assumed that the attractive woman would naturally have sex with the hero. That's only one of the reasons I didn't finish it. There is a man in this book who thinks that way; he's literally a wolf (at least part of the time), and is depicted as a disgusting creeper. I'd say "Men, take note," but any men who are reading a review of a book like this have probably already figured that one out.
I'm in two minds about the whole lack of effort and struggle for the main character. On the one hand, by most rules of writing, this is bad writing and should be boring, but then, most rules of writing are laid down by men. Is it a bug, or - given that this is, after all, a wish-fulfillment fantasy - a feature? What tips me in the direction of "feature" is the thought that many people in general, and women in particular, are experiencing life in the United States at the moment as an unavailing and never-ending struggle, so the very lack of struggle is part of the wish-fulfillment fantasy.
I'm still marking it down to three stars, mind you. It's so utterly expected, so full of cliches, so clearly dashed off quickly to serve a market - in short, so basic - that, in my mind, it doesn't earn four stars, even though it's enjoyable enough for what it is. But it doesn't need to be a great book to give a degree of insight into the concerns of its target audience, and that is what I mostly gained from it.
August 15, 2018
Here I am, in this uncomfortable position of having strong negative feelings about a book many readers have enjoyed. I don't like doing this, but, oh my, this book was a bit of a mess.
First, there is little character development. We jump right in with Emma, who narrates the story, but we don't learn much about her. I had no idea what motivated her, or how or why she got to be thirty-three years old without setting down roots in any one place. She also felt much younger than someone in her mid-thirties.
My major problem was something I rarely comment on: lack of editing. I have no issues with occasional typos, but this reads like a first draft. We have an abundance of missing words, extra words, and missing quotations. In one spot there is actually a note in brackets that states "[describe Bruce]", which the author clearly left for herself and then never went back to edit. And then we have a scene where one character walks away, then has two lines of dialogue within the group conversation while he isn't even there, and then makes his return. The whole thing is awkward and comes off as amateur.
The book itself is quite short. The story ends at the 71% point, and the rest is excerpts from other books.
First, there is little character development. We jump right in with Emma, who narrates the story, but we don't learn much about her. I had no idea what motivated her, or how or why she got to be thirty-three years old without setting down roots in any one place. She also felt much younger than someone in her mid-thirties.
My major problem was something I rarely comment on: lack of editing. I have no issues with occasional typos, but this reads like a first draft. We have an abundance of missing words, extra words, and missing quotations. In one spot there is actually a note in brackets that states "[describe Bruce]", which the author clearly left for herself and then never went back to edit. And then we have a scene where one character walks away, then has two lines of dialogue within the group conversation while he isn't even there, and then makes his return. The whole thing is awkward and comes off as amateur.
The book itself is quite short. The story ends at the 71% point, and the rest is excerpts from other books.
did-not-finish
January 16, 2025This one just didn't do it for me. Shall I say it was just too...basic?
January 2, 2019
Gemma Bradbury owns a New Age Store in Salem, OR. After closing one night, she stumbles into a bookcase and suddenly finds herself, along with her cat Titus, in a totally different version of Salem. To complicate matters, the room she finds herself in also contains the corpse of Mortimer Moncrief. Detective Otto, for no apparent reason, figures that she might be the killer, since she and her cat were the only ones in the room. Fortunately, Gilmer Gayle is available to help her find her way in the new version of Salem. From Gilmer and others, she learns that she is a witch and that her present location is now her new home. She cannot return to the Salem she knew previously.
How will Gemma handle her new world? Will she learn and understand her powers of witchcraft? Who or what killed Mortimer?
This is a great start to a new series. There are a lot of characters to sort through, but as with most new series, they are necessary to lay the foundation. If you enjoy a book with a lot of humor along with the mystery, you will thoroughly enjoy this story.
How will Gemma handle her new world? Will she learn and understand her powers of witchcraft? Who or what killed Mortimer?
This is a great start to a new series. There are a lot of characters to sort through, but as with most new series, they are necessary to lay the foundation. If you enjoy a book with a lot of humor along with the mystery, you will thoroughly enjoy this story.
October 1, 2019
I found this to be a cute start to the series. I love the cats and the wonderful cast of characters. The variety of types characters add to the charm. I definitely want to see where this series goes.
June 7, 2019
"Basic Witch" earns 5/5 Amateur Spells...Clever, Entertaining Fun!
Salem and witches? I'm in! Harmony Hart uses a first-person narrative to tell the story through Gemma Bradbury's perspective. Fate has set Gemma on a path to a new adventure, as she learns she inherited a new-age bookshop from a great aunt she barely knew in Salem...Oregon. How hard would it be to make it a success; well, she'll need to be more convincing to her Wicca clientele. Spending Samhain alone, her cat Titus makes himself a nuisance, causing her to fall, dislodging a bookcase, and falling into a hidden room and on top of a dead body! That's just the delightful beginning of the revelations Gemma is about to discover: a talking cat, magickal creatures, a strange place, and her true identity as a witch. Harmony has created a delightful world with vivid descriptions and dialogue that illustrates well the personality of all the different creatures. I enjoyed Gemma's naïveté and humor and the banter between her and her cat. More, please!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from Booksprout. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
Salem and witches? I'm in! Harmony Hart uses a first-person narrative to tell the story through Gemma Bradbury's perspective. Fate has set Gemma on a path to a new adventure, as she learns she inherited a new-age bookshop from a great aunt she barely knew in Salem...Oregon. How hard would it be to make it a success; well, she'll need to be more convincing to her Wicca clientele. Spending Samhain alone, her cat Titus makes himself a nuisance, causing her to fall, dislodging a bookcase, and falling into a hidden room and on top of a dead body! That's just the delightful beginning of the revelations Gemma is about to discover: a talking cat, magickal creatures, a strange place, and her true identity as a witch. Harmony has created a delightful world with vivid descriptions and dialogue that illustrates well the personality of all the different creatures. I enjoyed Gemma's naïveté and humor and the banter between her and her cat. More, please!
Disclosure: I received an ARC from Booksprout. My review is voluntary with honest insights and comments.
December 27, 2018
A fun witchy read. Kept me interested. I liked the premise. Gemma and her cat (who is her familiar) end up in an alternate plane where she is suspected of murder. Vampires, witches, werewolves and talking kitties, what’s not to love?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 6, 2018
A cozy murder mystery with a cute love story woven in. Wonderful writing!! I love how the author blended the two together! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!!
February 21, 2021
Sometimes I look at the ratings for a book I hated on here and wonder if I read the same book as everyone else. That applies here.
I was psyched for a supernatural cozy mystery set in Salem.
Here's my list of grievances:
1) it's Salem, OR. Ha!
2) and then some alternate realm Salem.
3) the "basic" in the title is right, and having the MC refer to herself as a "basic bitch" does not really alleviate that.
4) the revelation of real magic is dumb, and the MC was barely fazed. HELLO I WOULD LIKE SOME SHOCK PLEASE.
5) apparently I get irrationally angry at the Mary Sue of it all when all the men she encounters are jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
6) even a telepathic link to a cat didn't save this one.
...and most of all,
7) the "cozy mystery" of this--which is right there in the subtitle--was a laughable afterthought.
I almost didn't finish this at 34%, and now I wish I hadn't, but that compulsion to finish a thing is strong, and clearly a quality I need beaten out of me.
I was psyched for a supernatural cozy mystery set in Salem.
Here's my list of grievances:
1) it's Salem, OR. Ha!
2) and then some alternate realm Salem.
3) the "basic" in the title is right, and having the MC refer to herself as a "basic bitch" does not really alleviate that.
4) the revelation of real magic is dumb, and the MC was barely fazed. HELLO I WOULD LIKE SOME SHOCK PLEASE.
5) apparently I get irrationally angry at the Mary Sue of it all when all the men she encounters are jaw-droppingly gorgeous.
6) even a telepathic link to a cat didn't save this one.
...and most of all,
7) the "cozy mystery" of this--which is right there in the subtitle--was a laughable afterthought.
I almost didn't finish this at 34%, and now I wish I hadn't, but that compulsion to finish a thing is strong, and clearly a quality I need beaten out of me.
May 15, 2019
As a cozy mystery book, I wasn't expecting complicated storylines, or overly elaborate world building - but this was just so rushed and hodge podgy that it was impossible to really enjoy the "coziness" these kinds of books are supposed to provide. The heroine goes from zero self worth or confidence- full of self loathing and constantly griping about how horribly "basic" she is, to glitzy, glamorous bravery, and honesty in the space of half a day. Yes, half a day. She solves the murder in a matter of a couple of days while adapting to the fact that she goes from the human world to "magic realm" basically adapting and taking it all in stride immediately. I love suspending belief and reality...but this was just over the top, even for me.
January 30, 2018
When Gemma Bradbury’s aunt died, Gemma had been ready to quit her thankless corporate job. Although she didn’t know a thing about running a magic shop, nor even that she had an aunt in Oregon, it seemed like fate had just opened a door for her. As her last customer left, she had turned to Gemma and suggested she wear the citrine pendant hanging at the back of the shop. Gemma locked up and tried to count the register, but her cat climbed in the drawer, meowing for dinner. With no other choice, she headed up to her apartment, first grabbing the pendant that Marnie had suggested.
Starting back up the stairs, Titus suddenly jumped onto her shoulder, claws digging in; she started to fall and grabbed at a bookcase which spun around and tossed her into a hidden room. Her foot caught on something and she fell face-first – but never struck the floor? Looking down, she saw she had fallen on a man’s dead body! The bookcase slammed shut and she was thrown into darkness!
Gemma woke up to see a man’s face looking at her, smiling that she was awake. A crowd of people were pushing into the room as well. The man had heard her scream and broke the door down. Her cat approached and started talking to her!!! Deputy Stu arrived to investigate the death of the old man on her floor, then immediately asked Gemma why she did it! Gilmer Gaylor, Assistant to the Mayor, stepped forward and said that Gemma had to accompany him to Town Council immediately. He ignored Deputy Stu’s blustering. In one last attempt to escape this craziness, Gemma throws herself against the bookcase, pushing and pulling in the hope it will spin her back home – but it doesn’t, and she takes Gilmer’s arm to appear before the Council.
Gemma was assigned a job, replacing the deceased in the magic shop, and a place to live. Then Professor Bacchus was called in to teach her what she needed to know. Now all she has to do is learn how to use her magic, and find the real killer before Deputy Stu tosses her in a cell.
This was a fun, well-written cozy! The descriptions of events and the environment were nicely detailed to give the reader a perfect picture of everything that is going on. The story line was wonderful, especially as she lands right in the middle of a murder and meets the strange characters of her new world. I am delighted to read this series and look forward to the next exciting book! I voluntarily read a review copy of this book and my comments reflect my honest opinion.
Starting back up the stairs, Titus suddenly jumped onto her shoulder, claws digging in; she started to fall and grabbed at a bookcase which spun around and tossed her into a hidden room. Her foot caught on something and she fell face-first – but never struck the floor? Looking down, she saw she had fallen on a man’s dead body! The bookcase slammed shut and she was thrown into darkness!
Gemma woke up to see a man’s face looking at her, smiling that she was awake. A crowd of people were pushing into the room as well. The man had heard her scream and broke the door down. Her cat approached and started talking to her!!! Deputy Stu arrived to investigate the death of the old man on her floor, then immediately asked Gemma why she did it! Gilmer Gaylor, Assistant to the Mayor, stepped forward and said that Gemma had to accompany him to Town Council immediately. He ignored Deputy Stu’s blustering. In one last attempt to escape this craziness, Gemma throws herself against the bookcase, pushing and pulling in the hope it will spin her back home – but it doesn’t, and she takes Gilmer’s arm to appear before the Council.
Gemma was assigned a job, replacing the deceased in the magic shop, and a place to live. Then Professor Bacchus was called in to teach her what she needed to know. Now all she has to do is learn how to use her magic, and find the real killer before Deputy Stu tosses her in a cell.
This was a fun, well-written cozy! The descriptions of events and the environment were nicely detailed to give the reader a perfect picture of everything that is going on. The story line was wonderful, especially as she lands right in the middle of a murder and meets the strange characters of her new world. I am delighted to read this series and look forward to the next exciting book! I voluntarily read a review copy of this book and my comments reflect my honest opinion.
April 21, 2018
Reviewed at Haunted Bookshelf
I had fun with this first story in the series. Gemma is magically dropped into a weird situation in an even stranger town… she’s far, far from home now.
Basic Witch introduces us to a magical town that is quite literally not on any map. The residents are pretty much all gorgeous (there are exceptions but most are at the very least cute) and all have paranormal abilities. You’ll find everything from witches, jinn, shifters and any paranormal creature you can possibly think of quite at home in Salem. For the most part they all play nice in this locked off from the rest of the world town…. for the most part. Someone wasn’t so nice when they left a dead body for Gemma to stumble over upon arrival. Now she’s a suspect, the newest person to leave the human world and come to Salem in a very long time… and her cat, Titus, can talk to her now. Talk about an eventful evening.
Basic Witch gives us a funny cozy mystery with a touch of a future romance. We’ll meet the unique residents of this Salem, solve a murder along with Gemma and get a feel for this charming, interesting new world that Gemma has stumbled into which changed her circumstances forever. I loved Titus, and I’ve no doubt that you will as well. I had fun with this story, and will head over to Amazon to pick up the next available story later today. If you love Cozy Mysteries on the Paranormal side then check out Basic Witch and tickle your funny bone.
I own a Kindle edition of this story
I had fun with this first story in the series. Gemma is magically dropped into a weird situation in an even stranger town… she’s far, far from home now.
Basic Witch introduces us to a magical town that is quite literally not on any map. The residents are pretty much all gorgeous (there are exceptions but most are at the very least cute) and all have paranormal abilities. You’ll find everything from witches, jinn, shifters and any paranormal creature you can possibly think of quite at home in Salem. For the most part they all play nice in this locked off from the rest of the world town…. for the most part. Someone wasn’t so nice when they left a dead body for Gemma to stumble over upon arrival. Now she’s a suspect, the newest person to leave the human world and come to Salem in a very long time… and her cat, Titus, can talk to her now. Talk about an eventful evening.
Basic Witch gives us a funny cozy mystery with a touch of a future romance. We’ll meet the unique residents of this Salem, solve a murder along with Gemma and get a feel for this charming, interesting new world that Gemma has stumbled into which changed her circumstances forever. I loved Titus, and I’ve no doubt that you will as well. I had fun with this story, and will head over to Amazon to pick up the next available story later today. If you love Cozy Mysteries on the Paranormal side then check out Basic Witch and tickle your funny bone.
I own a Kindle edition of this story
January 18, 2019
I really liked it, but there was something about it that kept bothering me
Gemma, moving from city to city and job to job because she never quite felt like she belonged, suddenly finds herself in Magickal Salem, together with cat Titus. And she can’t go back, because the portal is one-way only. She literally stumbles on a dead body. And the Detective thinks shedunit! Now she has to find out who really dunit, and get used to this whole new, weird world.
It was fun, but not the laugh-out-loud kind of fun. It was pleasant, but there were a few little inconsistencies. I really liked it, but there was something about it that kept bothering me throughout the book. I kept comparing it to Nova Nelson’s Eastwind Witches. Yes, I know they came up with the idea together, but I had a hard time adjusting to the same worldbuilding yet with different people. And there were too many people to keep track of! And because a lot of them didn’t really have a function, I think this needs to be reduced. I actually had to make notes throughout the book so as not to get too confused.
There could have been more attention to the case. There was a lot about worldbuilding and Gemma having to get used to her new life. Which was understandable and enjoyable, but not case-related. When the case did get attention, at the very end, it WAS very clever!
But it missed that edge, that something extra that makes it come alive, that would have lifted it to 5 stars. Still a well-deserved 4 stars and I will be reading the next installment!
Gemma, moving from city to city and job to job because she never quite felt like she belonged, suddenly finds herself in Magickal Salem, together with cat Titus. And she can’t go back, because the portal is one-way only. She literally stumbles on a dead body. And the Detective thinks shedunit! Now she has to find out who really dunit, and get used to this whole new, weird world.
It was fun, but not the laugh-out-loud kind of fun. It was pleasant, but there were a few little inconsistencies. I really liked it, but there was something about it that kept bothering me throughout the book. I kept comparing it to Nova Nelson’s Eastwind Witches. Yes, I know they came up with the idea together, but I had a hard time adjusting to the same worldbuilding yet with different people. And there were too many people to keep track of! And because a lot of them didn’t really have a function, I think this needs to be reduced. I actually had to make notes throughout the book so as not to get too confused.
There could have been more attention to the case. There was a lot about worldbuilding and Gemma having to get used to her new life. Which was understandable and enjoyable, but not case-related. When the case did get attention, at the very end, it WAS very clever!
But it missed that edge, that something extra that makes it come alive, that would have lifted it to 5 stars. Still a well-deserved 4 stars and I will be reading the next installment!
February 23, 2019
Gemma's life takes a turn for the weird when she accidentally stumbles from Salem, Oregon, into a magical Salem, which is populated by paranormals. As if that wasn't unsettling enough, Gemma also stumbles (literally) over a dead body. She learns she's a witch, and that she is now stuck in Salem forever. Things aren't all bad, however. Her cat can now talk to her, the men in town are all drop-dead gorgeous, and she makes friends with a real fairy princess.
The magical Coven assigns Gemma a tutor to teach her to wield her magic. Professor Beauregard Bacchus seems to be the dreamiest of the available men. The bad news is, the Coven also insists she run the magical shop of the dead man, as well as live in his apartment above the shop. That puts Gemma squarely on top of the list of suspects who may have murdered the man. Now she has to pass a wand exam, learn how to assimilate in a magical town, and find out who really killed her predecessor before she ends up in jail.
I enjoyed the story; it was light and fun, if not altogether original. Characters weren't as three-dimensional as I'd like, but Gemma was plucky and engaging. My largest complaint is that some "pages" (this was an ebook) seemed to be missing. I would tap my screen to turn the page, only to get a blank screen! I know I missed some important information, and that made me terribly unhappy. Very amusing story, and I liked it a lot, However, what would have gotten a solid four stars is only getting three, due to the egregious formatting errors. Hmpf.
The magical Coven assigns Gemma a tutor to teach her to wield her magic. Professor Beauregard Bacchus seems to be the dreamiest of the available men. The bad news is, the Coven also insists she run the magical shop of the dead man, as well as live in his apartment above the shop. That puts Gemma squarely on top of the list of suspects who may have murdered the man. Now she has to pass a wand exam, learn how to assimilate in a magical town, and find out who really killed her predecessor before she ends up in jail.
I enjoyed the story; it was light and fun, if not altogether original. Characters weren't as three-dimensional as I'd like, but Gemma was plucky and engaging. My largest complaint is that some "pages" (this was an ebook) seemed to be missing. I would tap my screen to turn the page, only to get a blank screen! I know I missed some important information, and that made me terribly unhappy. Very amusing story, and I liked it a lot, However, what would have gotten a solid four stars is only getting three, due to the egregious formatting errors. Hmpf.
January 24, 2018
Loved this book i recieved and arc copy of this book which means i got the unedited version and i still loved it my honest review only complaint it wasn't longer but its a cozy so thats okay but now im hooked on this series. Even if i dont get to review again i would definately buy these books. Okay now for the info on this realy good book (Basic Witch) Gemma Bradbury inherits a Magic Shop in Salem Oregon and she doesn't know anything about magic then after closing up one night at her shop she and her cat Titus fall into a bookcase that sends them to the 2.0 version of Salem were she has the misfortune of landing on one Mortimer Montcrief recently deceased i mean like real recent. And from there it only gets stranger and more funny with finding out she's realy a witch being accused of murder by the Moose Deputy Manchester becoming the proprietor of a real shop with real magic and all the super hot hunky eligible paranormal bachelor's wanting to date her not to mention her super hunky proffesor Beauregard Bacchus can she stay out of jail and make a life for herself in this quirkey little town its not every day you meet death himself (Ted) and get to start over. Read the book its really good.
December 23, 2018
Thrill, chills and humour galour!! Gemma has never felt like she fit into any type of slot in her life. Then out of nowhere she learns she inherited a shop from an aunt she didn't even know she had. It's Samhain and she's selling items from her Wiccan shop when her last customer suggests she wear a necklace hanging near the register. Gemma and her trusty cat, Titus, are going through the register to close out but her cat is anxious to eat. So as Gemma turns from the register she sees the necklace and puts it on and stumbles against a bookcase which opens and she falls into-------a dead man. From this point on poor Gemma is totally confused when she can't figure out where in the world she is, why she's being treated like the murderer and then to find lots of sexy good looking men to boot!! Then the most gorgeous man she's ever seen appears before her and ................let's just say things get real interesting from this point on!
Fantastic story and great characters!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Fantastic story and great characters!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 1, 2018
Basic Witch is the first book in a fun new Witch cozy mystery series by Harmony Hart. Gemma Bradbury is preparing to open her new bookshop in Salem (Oregon) when she suddenly finds herself standing over a dead body in a very different Salem. Now she finds herself being accused of murder, unable to return to Salem, and suddenly finding out that magic actually exists, she's a witch, and her cat Titus is her familiar. I enjoyed this charming read with its fun and quirky characters, its diverse magical characters, and its interesting and entertaining take on a magical Salem. I enjoyed following along as Gemma navigated her magical education and learned to live in this very different version of Salem. With mystery, magic, romance, and humor, Basic Witch is the perfect read for people who enjoy a good, clean, easy to read cozy mystery and I'm looking forward to seeing where the author takes Gemma on both her magical journey and her new life in Salem.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 26, 2018
Gemma inherited a New Age shop from her aunt and found that in order to make the shop a success, she had to learn a bit more about spells and potions as most of her customers were Wiccans and many of them not only came to her for ingredients, they also expected expert advice as to how and what to use in their spells and potions. As she did not really believe in any of that, Google was her best friend and helped her appear knowledgeable and credible in front of her customers. That was of course until she tripped and fell against the bookshelf on the back wall of the shop, which in turn spun round and deposited her in the shop of, and onto the dead body of Mortimer Moncrief, owner of the magic shop in Magickal Salem. And there was no going back.
Nice start to a new series about the witches of Salem. I enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters in the new magical realm. Will certainly be looking out for more from Harmony Hart in the future. Received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.
Nice start to a new series about the witches of Salem. I enjoyed this book and getting to know the characters in the new magical realm. Will certainly be looking out for more from Harmony Hart in the future. Received an ARC and this is my honest opinion.
March 28, 2018
Another amazing series!
Wow I am absolutely loving this genre of paranormal cozy mysteries.
This book was about a young woman called Gemma who inherits a magic shop after her long lost grandma dies.
Things take a mysterious turn when she literally stumbles into the magical town of Salem.
This town reminded me of Spellbound which is very much like Salem wherein a paranormal person can enter it but cannot leave it due to a curse placed on it.
As she tumbles into it via a hidden bookshelf, she falls onto a dead body.
Once she is introduced to the Council where the Coven Headquarters are, she is assigned a tutor to reach her everything witchcraft. Professor Beau is a seriously attractive.
Once she realises that she may become a suspect in the murder, she decides to investigate herself and find the real culprit.
I loved most of the characters in the story and am looking forward to reading more and seeing how life for gemma develops in this special town.
Wow I am absolutely loving this genre of paranormal cozy mysteries.
This book was about a young woman called Gemma who inherits a magic shop after her long lost grandma dies.
Things take a mysterious turn when she literally stumbles into the magical town of Salem.
This town reminded me of Spellbound which is very much like Salem wherein a paranormal person can enter it but cannot leave it due to a curse placed on it.
As she tumbles into it via a hidden bookshelf, she falls onto a dead body.
Once she is introduced to the Council where the Coven Headquarters are, she is assigned a tutor to reach her everything witchcraft. Professor Beau is a seriously attractive.
Once she realises that she may become a suspect in the murder, she decides to investigate herself and find the real culprit.
I loved most of the characters in the story and am looking forward to reading more and seeing how life for gemma develops in this special town.
December 24, 2018
Gemma Bradbury along with her cat has managed to literally walk into another world. Its not the same old Salem shes used 2 this one has all kinds of super naturals. Now Gemma has too navigate this new world and train to be a witch but she has some very handsome help with that his name is Beauregard Bacchus not mention all the other super attractive paranormal's. Also im being accused of a crime i fell right over a dead body on my way into Salem andcthe local moose Sheriff isnt willing to take me off the suspect list just yet. I may just wanna solve the crim myself if i want too stay out of jail and pass my witches exam. I read the original version of this book and like the addition of the new characters cant wait to see were this new version is going. I was allowed to read and advance copy of this book threw Booksprout and also i have a copy for myself.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 24, 2018
Poor Gemma accidentally (maybe??) falls through a bookcase portal in her shop and ends up in magical Salem, lying on top of a dead body! It's got to be a bad dream, right? Nope - it turns out Gemma is a witch and this is exactly where she is destined to be.
This book totally captured my imagination - and in this popular genre it's difficult to set yourself apart, but the author totally accomplished that. I love the concept that there exists a magical Salem within modern Salem and all you need to do is cross-over (and of course be a witch!). The story is well-written, extremely imaginative, tongue-in-cheek funny in some places and outright hilarious in others (who knew the Grim Reaper was a friendly hugger??). Fun, likeable characters...and those "man candy" paranormal men - wow! Looking forward to more adventures with Gemma!
This book totally captured my imagination - and in this popular genre it's difficult to set yourself apart, but the author totally accomplished that. I love the concept that there exists a magical Salem within modern Salem and all you need to do is cross-over (and of course be a witch!). The story is well-written, extremely imaginative, tongue-in-cheek funny in some places and outright hilarious in others (who knew the Grim Reaper was a friendly hugger??). Fun, likeable characters...and those "man candy" paranormal men - wow! Looking forward to more adventures with Gemma!
December 28, 2018
Cute, fun, easy to read cozy mystery. Totally enjoyable.
Reading mysteries for me , is trying to figure out who did it. In this book, I was beginning to think it was just an accident since all the suspects were not working out. I had a suspicion early on who it was but forgot and as a result did not get it till the end. Nice job!
This is a second edition of this story, my understanding is that some changes were made. I recognize the earlier cover so i think I may have read it. However my memory sucks, need to take some ginko, lol. There were spots that did feel familiar.
But all that aside, this book is great all by itself. Just start this series here and enjoy. I know I am waiting to see where this story line goes.
This is my honest and freely given review. i received an ARC book.
Reading mysteries for me , is trying to figure out who did it. In this book, I was beginning to think it was just an accident since all the suspects were not working out. I had a suspicion early on who it was but forgot and as a result did not get it till the end. Nice job!
This is a second edition of this story, my understanding is that some changes were made. I recognize the earlier cover so i think I may have read it. However my memory sucks, need to take some ginko, lol. There were spots that did feel familiar.
But all that aside, this book is great all by itself. Just start this series here and enjoy. I know I am waiting to see where this story line goes.
This is my honest and freely given review. i received an ARC book.
February 1, 2018
I absolutely love the recipes given this story!! Major perk to adding this book to my collection. The paranormal and romances combined are fantastic little treats for my long days. Gemma is goofy girl with no footing in life but I'm hoping with her accident she understands and accepts who she is in life. Knowing your stuck in one spot changes things a bit but Gemma is very much a "Go with the flow" kinda person. I would've loved to learn more about the characters in this story but maybe I just need to keep reading the series to find out more and receive more recipes. Give this a try. If you don't like it, it was a short but sweet story. If you do like it, follow this author and get all the books she releases.
December 24, 2018
When Gemma Bradbury starts another new job from an inheritance, she has no idea what she’s doing. The “new age” shop is way out of her realm of knowledge but she decides to fake it till she makes it by reading everything in shop. What she doesn’t realize is that she really is a witch.
When she falls on a bookcase with her cat, the bookcase swirls around and she lands on a dead body in a different location than where her shop is. She finds herself in a town called Salem and there is no way to go back to her old life. She has to learn real magic and how to make it cause she isn’t going to be able to fake it.
I would definitely recommend this book to any witch cozy book lovers. I received a copy of this book for an honest opinion.
When she falls on a bookcase with her cat, the bookcase swirls around and she lands on a dead body in a different location than where her shop is. She finds herself in a town called Salem and there is no way to go back to her old life. She has to learn real magic and how to make it cause she isn’t going to be able to fake it.
I would definitely recommend this book to any witch cozy book lovers. I received a copy of this book for an honest opinion.
January 2, 2019
This is a fast paced, fun little mystery. With the premise of parallel worlds and being ripped from one location to another, then being forced to clear herself of a murder charge. Gemma is the likable witch next door. Will Gemma learn what it takes to be a witch? Will she find who killed Morty? How will she face this new life and make new friends? In a town full of sexy men and all type of magical beings Gemma learns basic magic from Beau. Will she learn to do basic spells with her wand or will she fail at magic? Gemma is the new witch in town and on her way to learning her craft and running her magical shop.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 23, 2020
Okay so this book was like not particularly good but it was pretty fun. Gemma accidentally falls through a portal into a different version of Salem, populated by all sorts of supernatural creatures such as witches, werewolves, fairies, and vampires. She finds out she's descended from a long line of witches (from the founder of the town), and she is also accused of murder as soon as she gets there, so she takes it upon herself to solve the murder so she doesn't get sent to jail. It's very fun and fluffy, definitely more cutesy of a book than I particularly wanted right now. Every man she comes across in this town is more gorgeous than the last. There are random plot threads that are started and not returned to. Big fan of the cats and I loved how her cat talked to her. That was fun.
February 2, 2018
ARC . BRAVO ! 😍 A GREAT CAPTIVATING ROMANCE
AN ABSOLUTELY WITCHY DELIGHTFUL ROMANCE by Harmony Hart, she writes a fast-paced thrilling hilarious strong compelling structure storyline and well developed characters in Gemma Bradbury and Beauregard Bacchus and supporting characters in Salem in a intriguing twisty exquisitely brilliant well written story . The story is drama rom-com adventure emotional rollar coaster captivating sizzling chemistry strength of character mystery action suspense thrilling twist turns obstacles hurdles and captivating from start to finish 💋 💖 . I love and recommend this book to everyone 😆 😙 .
AN ABSOLUTELY WITCHY DELIGHTFUL ROMANCE by Harmony Hart, she writes a fast-paced thrilling hilarious strong compelling structure storyline and well developed characters in Gemma Bradbury and Beauregard Bacchus and supporting characters in Salem in a intriguing twisty exquisitely brilliant well written story . The story is drama rom-com adventure emotional rollar coaster captivating sizzling chemistry strength of character mystery action suspense thrilling twist turns obstacles hurdles and captivating from start to finish 💋 💖 . I love and recommend this book to everyone 😆 😙 .
December 28, 2018
Gemma Bradbury is transported to a different Salem at the end of a long day at work. She also is found lying on the body of a dead man. A man that was very important to 'this' Salem. Magickal Salem is where she finds out she too is a witch and can never leave this place. But she must learn how to be a witch. Here so many of the males are 'model hot', but Gemma needs to prove that she did not kill the shop owner that she now must learn to run. Things are really different here, including that her cat and she can now talk to one another. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book Booksprout. This is my honest opinion of it. I can't wait for the next installment!
September 16, 2025
Delightful book!
A cozy murder mystery with a cute love story woven in. It is filled with fun, likeable characters, and a town full of magic.
Our heroine Gemma arrives in a mysterious town where her cat can suddenly talk and is thrown into the middle of a murder that she did not commit. The deputy who arrives to investigate doesn’t believe one word Gemma says. She decides that she’ll have to solve the murder herself. She meets some wonderful, magical friends that volunteer to help.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting pulled in to the mayhem that ensues as she tries to clear her name.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A cozy murder mystery with a cute love story woven in. It is filled with fun, likeable characters, and a town full of magic.
Our heroine Gemma arrives in a mysterious town where her cat can suddenly talk and is thrown into the middle of a murder that she did not commit. The deputy who arrives to investigate doesn’t believe one word Gemma says. She decides that she’ll have to solve the murder herself. She meets some wonderful, magical friends that volunteer to help.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting pulled in to the mayhem that ensues as she tries to clear her name.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 25, 2018
This was my first book by Ms. Hart and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Basic Witch is a mix of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Veronica Mars. When Gemma falls into an old bookcase she somehow ends up in a very different Salem - where magic and myth are real and she herself is a witch. Unfortunately she also finds a dead body. As Gemma tries to find the murderer she gets to know the people around her. Basic Witch is a quick read, a few hours, and I look forward to reading more books from this author. I read an arc of this book and left my honest review.
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